Beleaguered pop star Michael Jackson is being sued for $7m (£4.3m) by the son of the King of Bahrain, just days after he was forced to sell the infamous 2,500-acre Neverland ranch in California.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa is suing Jackson for breach of contract and the case is expected to go before a high court judge today. It is alleged that Jackson received payment in advance for writing and recording new material, but never delivered on his promise of a new album for Al Khalifa's record company. He also alleges he gave the singer a new Rolls Royce worth $120,000 (£75,000).

Al Khalifa and Jackson became friends during the singer's stay in Bahrain following his acquittal on several counts of molesting a 13-year-old in 2005.

His financial difficulties since his arrest in 2003 have been well documented, and last week the singer was forced to sell the Neverland ranch, his home for nearly 20 years, after he defaulted on the monthly mortgage payments.